Operation Linebacker: A Division Story
by Matticus4205
Summary: After securing most of Manhattan, the JTF now reinforced with additional Nation Guard elements, have decided it was time to go on the offensive and re-open the roads south of NYC and establish a new supply route. The only road leading south is across two heavily guarded bridges and knowing the Last Man Battalion, the JTF is in for a fight.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**: **Hello everyone and welcome to Operation Linebacker. This story depicts the latest major offensive launched by elements of the JTF, the SHD as well as newly arrived elements of the Army National Guard. This story is completely fictional minus the setting, some major characters from the game and the enemies. What I want to do here is depict what a major combat operation would look like in the world of the Division. I mean we get snippets via ECHOs and some recordings but we don't get to actually see it. I felt in some missions we would get to see multiple JTF elements backing us in an assault like during the final LMB mission but all we get is like three to four dudes... Anyway, feel free to leave any comments and suggestions and keep an eye out for updates cause this is gonna be a long one.**

Prologue: _2019, January 20th, 3 clicks north of South Amboy_

"Watchtower this is Haymaker how copy over?" The wind began to pick up and kicked up some snow down below outside the abandoned warehouse. "We read you 5 by 5 Haymaker, send traffic over. The Green Beret clicked on his handset. "Watchtower be advised I'm seeing several strong points along the I-35 and Driscoll bridges break." He pulled up his binos and peered through them "I count 4 times APCs and 2 time IFVs break, multiple infantry and indirect munitions over." Another Green Beret next to him drew down the details of the bridges and the defences around them. "Copy Haymaker, interrogative, I need a no BS assessment over." The radio operator let out a soft sigh. "Watchtower I recommend against a frontal assault break, strong chance of a mass casualty situation over." As he clicked off the handset two more Green Berets climbed up the ladder to join the other two on the catwalk. "What do we got Boss?" One of them asked. The team leader shook his head and handed him the binos. "A fuck ton of assholes."

The soldier pulled off his goggles and looked through the binos. "Fuck, that's a lot of ass and shooters, indirect?" The TL nodded and pointed a glove finger to a HESCO bunker. "My guess is either 60s or 81s." Suddenly the radio chirped up. "Haymaker be advised, your orders are to RTB over." The TL clicked on the handset. "Copy Watchtower, Haymaker is RTB, out." The men gathered their gear and made their way down to the floor of the warehouse. "How's our exfil Donny?" The Green Beret with the goggles nodded. "We're good, LMB doesn't patrol this side during the day." He adjusted the strap to his Rush 72 pack. "If we hoof it now, we can make it to the FOB before nightfall." Everyone checked their M4s and made sure they had a round in the chamber. "Alright boys, on me." The four men stacked up on the north side door, with a pat on the shoulder they flowed out the door in a column and out into the town.

_6 hours later, FOB Mackey, Bulls Head, Staten Island_

"Blue!" A JTF Soldier shouted from the school roof. "Ridge!" The Team Leader shouted back. "Come on in Haymaker, CO's watin." The guard replied. The four Green Berets jogged past the makeshift gate and guard post and let out several sighs and pants. "Fuck.." Donny breathed heavily. "I ever tell you boys how much I hate the cold." There were several chuckles from the team. "Bro, you're from Michigan." Replied one of the Green Berets. "Fuck you John, fuck you." The TL looked at his men. "Hit the chow hall then the racks boys, I gotta brief the Colonel." The team let out a combined "Hoo-ah." As the TL made his way down the halls and corridors of the former catholic high school he was met and greeted by several passing JTF members and National Guardsmen. "Top wait up." a woman called out to him. He stopped and looked at a women with brown hair in a bun, in uniform jogging to him. "Captain, how are your boys?" He asked as she caught up. "Glad to be home, well as close to home as they can get." She replied.

Captain Kathy Chambers, CO of Charlie Company, 27th Infantry BCT (Brigade Combat Team). She looked at him as they walked towards the TOC (Tactical Operations Center). "Any more pipe hitters from the 19th SFG arrive?" She asked. The TL shook his head. "No ma'am, far as I can tell we're it for now, well us and Havoc team up in Queens." She shook her head. "Fuck me, two ODAs and only a third of y'all made it. Was it that bad?" He nodded as he took off his FAST helmet. "Yeah, we got painted soon as we flew over Yonkers." He pulled off his Mechanix M-Pacts. "Pilots did what they could to evade but a SAM clipped our tail and we crashed in the Bronx, our CO and three others got smoked on impact. Bird 2 crashed in Yonkers but we haven't heard anything." Cpt. Chambers just shook her head. "Similar thing happened to us, our convoy was coming in via highway 95 through New Rochelle. We took fire soon as we hit the Bronx. LMB wasn't fuckin around let me tell you that."

The duo finally reached the TOC, soon as they saw the Colonel they stood at attention and saluted. "Sir." They said together. The 45 year old Colonel turned to face them, he sported a freshly shaved head and face and returned the salute. "Captain, First Sergeant, what do we got." The TL moved over to the map and began marking down positions with a red dry erase marker. "Far as we can tell sir LMB is strong pointing both bridges, they aim to keep New York cut off from the Capital." The Colonel nodded as the First Sergeant explained what positions his team saw. "It's gonna be a fight sir but frankly if we play this right we could open up the roads to DC." The Colonel looked at Cpt. Chambers. "What do you think Captain?" He asked. She let out a sigh. "Well Sir, my men are ready for a fight but, we're gonna need more than infantry to take and hold these bridges." She looked over the map once more. "Even with the Strykers we have, those Bradleys will rip us a new one with their TOWs." The TL looked over the map as well. "What about a team going across the river itself and assaulting from behind?" The Colonel nodded. "That could work but before we do anything we need to advance the frontline and that means securing this place." He points to a township covered in red. "Woodbridge, we need to secure the area and set up a forward base, then we can focus on the bridge." Both Kathy and the TL nodded. "Get your men briefed, I'll try to gather what resources I can." The Colonel turned around and returned to his office. The LT let out a sigh. "What's on your mind First Sergeant?" Kathy asked. "Can I be frank Captain?" She nodded. "I think the LMB have more in store then we think."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: _January 20th, Stuyvesant, Manhattan _

_Target, range 425, just left of the upturned van. _The streets of Stuyvesant had once been in firm control of the convicts from Rikers Island. Once the JTF had managed to regain its footing they pushed them out and retook the power plant located by the waterway. On occasion you would get a group of them wandering in from the upper north side. _On scope. _Most of the JTF is focused at the power plant, the streets well, they belong to the Jackals. _Send it. _The suppressed crack of a rifle broke the silence in the desolate street below. The round flew true and pierced the convic's center mass and made him slowly slump forward as his breathing stopped. _Hit, center mass, mark as marker Foxtrot. _The shooter pulled the bolt back of his suppressed McMillan TAC-300 and chambered a new round. "Jackal 1 this is 2, street is clear break, we got you covered over." The spotter said after pressing her PTT adapter. "Copy 2 we're moving now out." Down below the apartment building the shooter team was in, a man and a woman in a mix of tactical gear with civilian clothing exited the lobby of the building and made their way into a pharmacy. The shooter, a man named Tan, adjusted his backwards 5.11 Flag Bearer hat as well as his positioning on the table he laid on. "Hey Liv." He said, "Hmm." She replied, not taking her eye of her spotting scope. "You see that three story structure to our one, check the fourth window on the second floor to the right and tell me what you see." She moved her scope to the location he pointed out and began observing. "I see an open window, wind is making the curtains flap a bit, wait. I might have something." She adjusted the zoom on her scope, as the curtains flapped they revealed a figure in the room holding something. "I got an unknown in the back of the room. Can't tell if they're armed or not." Tan focused on the figure, he zoomed in with the TS-12x mounted on his rifle. "1 be advised we got an unknown about 500 meters from our position in a three story building to our 1 o'clock over."

"Copy 2 we'll check it out." The man who entered the pharmacy positioned himself against the doorway leading out to the street. "Kat, we're pushing to a three story to our left, just down the road." She nodded as she stacked up behind him with her gloved hand on his shoulder. With a pat they moved out onto the street, he trained his LaRue PredatOBR 5.56 on the suspected building while Kat moved to his right side and scanned the street with her Daniel Defense M4V4S. "Keith be advised, the unknown has moved out of our view break, we have no eyes at this time out." The pair stacked up on the main double doors leading into the building. "Going right." Keith said softly. Kat nodded and pushed open the right door. As it swung open Keith moved into the lobby's right side with Kat pushing into the left side. "Stairs." She said. Keith followed her up and scanned their right side for targets. "Second floor, last door on your right over." Kat pressed on her PTT adapter as she moved onto the second floor. "Copy." She peeked around the corner and gave Keith a nod. "Moving." He said softly. As he moved passed her she followed closely. "Eyes on, they're still in the room, left side over." As the pair stacked the doorway, Keith squaked his radio twice to acknowledge what was said. He gently pushed on the door and gave the doorknob a soft turn. Once he felt it was locked he made a fist and bumped the top side of his helmet with his knuckles. This signaled Kat to unholster her breaching M870 MCS. She placed the muzzled just above the doorknob and looked at Keith who readied a flashbang. Once he gave he a nod she pumped two 12 gauge shells into the door, gave it a kick and stepped back out of the fatal funnel and was followed by Keith tossing in the banger.

"Oh fuck!" was all that was heard before the flashbang detonated. Once the banger had gone off, Keith followed by Kat made entry into the room. The unknown groaned as she tried to picked herself up. "Gun." Kat said as she saw the Glock 19 on the floor near the woman. She quickly pinned her down and pushed the gun towards Keith. "I got it." He said as he tucked it into his battle belt. "Name." Kat said as she pulled the woman's arm back. "Ahh, Kendra, my fuckin name is Kendra." Once Kat had her in flex cuffs she got off her. "Secured." She said. Keith walked over to the window and gave a thumbs up. "The fuck are you doing here Kendra." He said. With a sigh she replied. "I came to look for supplies, I'm a runner for a small group a couple blocks from here." Keith nodded. "Why are you so forth coming to us?" She simply shrugged. Kat picked her up and sat her on the bed. "You know who we are?" She asked. Kendra nodded at the Phoenix patch on their right arms. "Everyone knows about you guys, was kinda hoping I ran into you." She chuckled as she thought about her current situation. "Didn't think it'd be like this though." Keith simply shook his head. "Let her go." Kat nodded and cut the cuffs off. As she rubbed her wrists Keith handed her the Glock back. "Watchtower this is Jackal Actual how copy." Keith said. "Reading you Lima Charlie Jackal Actual, send traffic over." Kat handed Kendra a bottle of water and a Cliff bar, she nodded as she took them. "Watchtower Jackal is patching in a civilian, standby over." He took off his helmet and handed her his headset and the Push To Talk adapter. "Just push the button to talk." Kendra nodded as she put on the Peltor headset.

_3 Hours Later_

"Thanks again, I don't know what to say." Kendra said as she shook Keith's hand. He shook his head. "Just doing our jobs ma'am." Kendra smiled and nodded before getting into the JTF marked M1083A1P2 truck. Kat gave a soft wave to a couple kids in the back as the MATV/M1083 convoy slowly began to drive off. "Watchtower show Jackal is en route to safe house over." Keith said as Tan and Liv joined him and Kat. "Copy Jackal, be advised once you reach the safe house break, you are to contact Avenger 6 for new orders over." This was a surprise, why was the CO of the 27th BCT handing down orders to SHD Agents? "Watchtower say again your last over." Keith said as he look at his team confused. "Jackal I am handing your team as well as another team over to Avenger for tasking break, they'll brief you on what they need from you out." Keith shook his head and let out a sigh. "Copy Watchtower, Jackal Actual out." The team looked at Keith. "I'll tell you guys on the way to the safe house. Let's go." They all nodded, checked their weapons and began their trek back to their safehouse.

**Author's Note:**** Sorry this took so long guys, had to scrap this chapter a few times, couldn't really get it to flow right nor did any of my previous iterations work out. Hopefully y'all enjoy this, I have Chapter 2 in the works and should have it up sometime after the holidays. Stay tuned.**


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